India’s Mars Orbiter Mission covers 95% of odyssey, in ‘pink of health’

India's Mars Orbiter Mission, scheduled to enter the Red Planet's orbit later this month, is in the "pink of health" and sending important information after covering 95 per cent of its journey - a distance of 211 million km from earth, the Indian Space Research Organisation said today.

"MOM keeps sending us vital information about the health of its various modules and measurements from sensors by telemetry signals. Today's telemetry confirms that MOM is in the pink of health," ISRO said on its micro-blogging site.

"MOM uses 2.2 m High Gain Antenna to send us signals from the present distance of 211 million km," the online message added.

ISRO said the spacecraft had completed 95 per cent of its heliocentric journey towards Mars and was less than "four million kilometres" away from it.

Scientists would undertake a "challenging task" on 24 September when they would restart the onboard liquid engine, which has been in sleep mode for nearly ten months, for a critical manoeuvre of the spacecraft.

The Rs450-crore spacecraft, named Mangalyaan, was launched from the Sriharikota space base in Andhra Pradesh on board the hard-working Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on 5 November last year with an aim to reach the Mars atmosphere by 24 September.

The project is expected to provide scientists important inputs in planetary research.